Taeniogonalos manickavasagami Sankararaman, Amal & Girish Kumar, 2025

Sankararaman, H., Amal, S. & Kumar, P. Girish, 2025, Description of a new species of Taeniogonalos Schulz (Hymenoptera: Trigonalidae) from South India with an updated key to Indian species, Zootaxa 5621 (3), pp. 326-334 : 328-331

Taeniogonalos manickavasagami Sankararaman, Amal & Girish Kumar sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3 )

Type material. Holotype ♀, India: Kerala, Malappuram district , Kakkadampoyil , Mele-thottappally (11°22’20.5”N 76°06’37.0”E, 837 m), 26.v.2024, Coll. H. Sankararaman, ( ZSIK) Regd. No. ZSI/WGRC/I.R.-INV.27910.

Diagnosis. This new species is distinguished from all other described species of Taeniogonalos from India by the following combination of features: second metasomal sternite produced medio-posteriorly ( Fig. 3D , marked by arrow); scutellum and middle lobe of mesoscutum bicoloured, scutellum black medially and pale yellow laterally, middle lobe of mesoscutum black with two yellow spots anteriorly, axilla mostly black, small brownish patch medially ( Figs. 2D , 3A ); second submarginal cell of fore wing sessile anteriorly which is connecting with discal cell at a point ( Fig. 3B ); second metasomal tergite without basal yellow spot ( Fig. 3C ).

Description. Holotype, female, length 9.5 mm; fore wing length 7.5 mm.

Head. Head in dorsal view 1.5 × as wide as long (except mandibles); antenna with 22 flagellomeres ( Fig. 1 ); frons ( Fig. 2A ) coarsely rugose punctate, with narrow shiny interspaces; vertex with similar sculpture, moderately setose; OOD 2.6 × POD; OOD 3.4 × OD ( Fig. 2B ); temple mostly smooth, sparsely punctate; eye in dorsal view subequal to temple; occipital carina distinct; supra-antennal elevation medium-sized, about 0.3 × as long as scape, outer margin oblique ( Fig. 2B ); clypeus emarginated medio-apically, setose; mandibles large; interocular distance at middle of face 3.2 × distance between antennal toruli ( Fig. 2A ).

Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.2 × as long as high ( Fig. 2D ); notauli deep, narrow and complete ( Fig. 2D ); midlobe of mesoscutum coarsely rugose-punctate, lateral lobes with similar sculpture, short longitudinal streak indicated on lateral lobes; scutellar sulcus complete; scutellum similarly sculptured, convex, above level of mesoscutum, metanotum medially slightly convex, not protruding, faintly rugose ( Fig. 2D & 3A ); transverse mesopleural sulcus indistinct; mesopleuron irregularly rugose; propodeum largely longitudinally or obliquely rugose; posterior propodeal carina arched (pointed medially) ( Fig. 3A ).

Wings. Fore wing: length of vein 1-SR subequal to vein 1-M, vein 1-M arched and vein 1-SR straight ( Fig. 3B ); second submarginal cell sessile anteriorly, connecting with discal cell at a point ( Fig. 3B ).

Metasoma. First metasomal tergite 1.5 × as wide as long, smooth with few punctures ( Fig. 3C ); remainder tergites conspicuously rugose punctate, markedly setose ( Figs 3C & 3D ); sternites with similar sculptures as on tergites; posterior margin of second metasomal sternite medio-apically produced ( Fig. 3D , marked by white arrow); third sternite 0.2 × as long as second sternite; hypopygium triangular in ventral view.

Colour. Head, mesosoma and metasoma predominantly bicolored (black and yellow). Body mostly black with the yellow markings as follows: oblique patches behind stemmaticum; mandible, except the teeth; paired broad marks almost entirely on clypeus; frons near toruli, inner eye margin, anterior to median ocellus, lateral to lateral ocelli; temple anteriorly; vertex posteriorly; two markings on lateral side of pronotum (near upper & lower margins); middle lobe of mesoscutum anterolaterally; two large spots on scutellum laterally, axilla with small brownish patch medially; metanotum with one large medial and pair of large lateral yellow patches, two large patches on propodeum submedially; spot on upper mesopleuron anteriorly and longitudinal patch on lower mesopleuron, narrow longitudinal patch on metapleuron close to pleural carina; first metasomal tergite with patch on postero-medial margin; second tergite with yellow band at posterior margin which widened laterally and somewhat narrow medially; third tergite with pale indistinct band at posterior margin; fourth-sixth tergites with two spots on either sides; first and second metasomal sternites with posterior band which is more wider on second sternite, remainder of sternites black. Antenna brown. Tegula brown. Legs with base of fore coxa, mid and hind coxa black with following yellow markings: fore coxa almost entirely; mid and hind coxa dorsally; fore and hind trochanter entirely; mid trochanter dorsally; brown markings on base and apex of mid and hind tibia. Rest of legs blackish brown to brown. Wings pale brownish hyaline; fore wing infumed subapically; veins dark brown to black. Setae on head, mesosoma and metasoma white.

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. This new species is named in honour of Dr S. Manickavasagam for his contribution to the taxonomy of chalcid parasitoids, especially Mymaridae , Encyrtidae , and Chalcididae from India, and also for mentoring the first author during his doctoral research.

Distribution. India (Kerala).

Remarks. Taeniogonalos manickavasagami sp. nov. is similar in appearance to T. fulvoscutellata (Ayyar) from India, T. flavoscutellata (Chen) from China and Korea, and T. sauteri Bischoff from China, Japan, Korea, Russia Far East and Taiwan, by having the second metasomal sternite produced medio-posteriorly. However, this new species differs from the fulvoscutellata and flavoscutellata by the bicolored scutellum, yellow laterally and black medially, and axilla mostly black with small brownish patch medially (in T. fulvoscutellata and T. flavoscutellata , scutellum unicoloured, entirely yellow-orange or yellow and axilla yellow-orange). It differs from T. sauteri in having axilla black with small brownish patch medially; yellow markings on mesopleuron (in T. sauteri , axilla yellow and mesopleuron completely black, without any markings).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Taeniogonalos manickavasagami Sankararaman, Amal & Girish Kumar sp. nov., holotype, female habitus, lateral view.

FIGURE 2. Taeniogonalos manickavasagami Sankararaman, Amal & Girish Kumar sp. nov., holotype, female. A) Head, frontal view; B) Head, dorsal view; C) Mesosoma, lateral view; D) Mesosoma, dorsal view.

FIGURE 3. Taeniogonalos manickavasagami Sankararaman, Amal & Girish Kumar sp. nov., holotype, female. A) Scutellum, metanotum and propodeum, dorsal view; B) Wings; C) Metasoma, dorsal view; D) Metasoma, lateral view (arrow showing the second metasomal sternite produced medio-posteriorly).